The Proof of the Pudding is in the Eating

Once described as making the best commercially made Christmas Puddings ever tasted by the Sydney Morning Herald’s Good Food Guide, the Adamstown Pudding Kitchen has cooked, wrapped and sold more than 10,000 Christmas puddings each year to help a variety of worthy causes.

It’s an impressive feat, fueled by lashings of brandy, quality ingredients and a community spirit that has resulted in more than $1 million being donated to worthy projects since its establishment.

Apart from a closely guarded recipe, the secret to their success is a host of passionate volunteers who give up their time to help out with everything from cooking and wrapping the puddings to working the shopfront and various stalls where the delicious treats are sold. This year, due to COVID-19 they will not be producing puddings but will continue to have a deliciously tempting range of mature puddings available for purchase which are expected to be in high demand, and with 2021 being their 50th anniversary, they are looking forward to recommencing production of the full range of puddings in the new year.

The famous puddings had a humble but moving beginning. When parishioner Dawn Hodgetts’ younger brother Peter was away fighting in the Vietnam War in the early 70's, she prayed for him to come home safely. When her prayers were answered, she turned to her grandmother’s family recipe to make puddings for a church fundraiser.

Almost 50 years later, charity and community spirit are still the vital ingredients in the operation of the Adamstown Pudding Kitchen, with profits going towards a range of worthy charitable causes within the Hunter and further afield.

Of course, its charitable efforts wouldn’t be as successful if it wasn’t for the high quality of its culinary offerings – and these are undoubtedly second to none.

Thrilling the taste buds of satisfied customers across the Hunter and throughout Australia, the Adamstown Pudding Kitchen’s core product – the traditional Christmas pudding, is cooked using the same family recipe for which the exact measurements and method of combining them is a carefully guarded secret.

The Adamstown Pudding Kitchen has branched out over the years to create reduced fat and gluten-free versions, as well as a new range of gourmet puddings with flavours that include apricot and ginger, date, and double choc cherry.

Customers can also choose from their core range of decadent dessert sauces that can be mixed and matched with the puddings as well as a range of gourmet jams, pickles and chutneys that are designed to be seasonal. This year the gourmet range will include something new - ‘Angel Bars’ which are white chocolate with apricot and ginger pudding, dark chocolate with traditional pudding and milk chocolate with date pudding, which will no doubt prove to be very popular.

Of course, there is no better way to say thank you or wish someone a Merry Christmas than with a gift made from a delicious selection of Adamstown Pudding Kitchen gourmet products. Customers can choose to have a customised hamper or choose any 3 of the jam, pickles and sauces in a gift box. The perfect Christmas or corporate gift.

The Pudding Kitchen is open until Christmas Eve unless sold out earlier, with all puddings available for purchase from the church building at Adamstown Uniting Church – simply follow the signs. The shop opens from 10am to 2pm Monday to Friday and from 21 November will be open from 10am to 2pm on Saturdays. Puddings can also be ordered online at www.adamstownpuddingkitchen.org.au

Words: Quentin von Essen

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*CHRISTMAS SPECIAL OFFERS *

Adamstown Pudding Kitchen is offering Jams, Pickles and Sauces gift box for $28 (You can choose three products in a range for a gift box). Plus they are also offering their new chocolate "Angel Bars". These delicious chocolate bars are infused with pudding and are $8 each, or 2 for $15. The flavours are dark chocolate with traditional pudding, white chocolate with apricot & ginger pudding, and COMING SOON is their milk chocolate with date pudding.

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